on their faces and interceeded with the Lord for them God by his Spirit informs Moses That he had sent a Plague among them and directs him what course to take for the stopping of it Hereupon he calls to Aaron to take his Censer and to put fire into it from off the Altar and to put Incense thereon and to run quickly and make atonement for the people and to stand between the living and the dead (b) Incense was only to be offered upon the Altar of Incense in the Tabernacle but this was done upon an extraordinary occasion and by an extraordinary warrant of divine Inspiration for he tells him Wrath was gone out from the Lord the Plague was begun And Aaron did as Moses commanded him yet the Plague ran so swiftly among the people like fire in a field of Corn that before Aaron could interpose himself to make atonement wherein he was a Figure of Christs Intercession there fell fourteen thousand and seven hundred of those rebellious Murmurers see 1 Cor. 10.10 and then the Plague was stayed and Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tabernacle to acquaint him how he had sped and to return thanks unto the Lord who had so graciously accepted the work of his hands Numb 16. whole Chapter SECT LXIV THat none might for the future presume to usurp the Office of the Priesthood or aspire to it besides Aaron and his Sons God was pleased to enjoyn Moses to take of each Prince of the twelve Tribes a Rod or Staff such as they did usually carry in their hands which were it seems according to the Custom of those times made of Almond-Tree and to write every Princes Name on his Rod and to write Aaron's Name upon the Rod of the Tribe of Levi. He tells him That the mans Rod whom he did choose to serve him in the Priesthood should blossom and the rest remain dry And God orders Moses to lay all the Rods up in the Tabernacle in the most holy place before the Ark of the Testimony where the Lord did use by glorious signs to testifie his Presence and make known his Will unto them see Exod. 25.22 For upon such extraordinary occasions we need not doubt but Moses used to go into the most holy place Accordingly next morning Moses went in thither and he found that the Rod of Aaron had shot forth branches and some of them had buds on them and some blossoms and others yielded Almonds but all the rest of the Rods remaining dry as they were before Then Moses brought out all the Rods and shewed them to the Children of Israel and the Princes took every man his Rod and found them dry sticks as before but Aaron's Rod flourished and had brought forth Buds Blossoms and Fruit by which Miracle they were convinced that God had chosen Aaron and his Sons to be the only Priests that should serve Him at the Altar And hereupon God orders Moses to lay up Aaron's Rod again in the most holy place before the Ark to be kept there * See Apostol Hist on Heb. 9.6 as a Testimony against any such Children of Rebellion as should ever after presume to usurp the Office of the Priesthood And by this means also he might prevent the murmurings and complainings of the people which if they went on in they would thereby bring certain destruction upon their own heads The people hearing these things and being exceedingly terrified with this threatning and the remembrance of those late dreadful Judgments that had carried away so many among them they cry out unto Moses Alas we die we perish we all perish that is we see we are in continual danger of being swept away with terrible Judgments And as men terrified are wont to conceive their danger to be greater than indeed it is they now apprehend that it would be exceeding dangerous for them to come near the Tabernacle or to be present at any Worship or Service there performed and seem to fear that God would not withdraw his Indignation from them until he had destroyed and consumed them all Ch. 17. whole Chapter SECT LXV THe people being under such a fear and consternation the Lord hereupon takes order for the guard of the Sanctuary and injoyns that every one should remain within the Verge and Limits of his duty and so they should be safe and he tells Aaron That He and the Priests and Levites shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary that is if any pollution (c) Thus the Lord shews himself reconciled and makes the Priests watch a ground of appeasing both the fear and envy of the people came to it by the people they should answer for it and bear the punishment thereof if they did not take care to prevent it and the Priests should bear the punishment of all Iniquity committed about their Priests Office if they did carry themselves amiss in it or suffer a stranger or Levite to meddle therein He tells them he had joined * Here is an allusion to Levies name which signifies joyned the Levites to them to minister to them in the outward Services of killing and slaying the Sacrifices c. but they themselves only should serve at the Altar and within the holy place before the Ark of the Testimony and the Levites shall observe the Precepts and Charge which he hath given them concerning their Ministry and concerning the sacred things of the Tabernacle which are committed to their Care that so every one keeping his station and doing his duty there may be no wrath any more upon the Children of Israel only they shall not meddle with the Service of the Sanctuary and Altar lest they die And if the Priests did not endeavour to prevent any such Errour or Miscarriage in their Brethren the Levites they should also incur the like danger Thus he appoints the Levites to minister to the Priests and orders that he that is not of the Tribe of Levi shall not be admitted to serve and minister unto them For God having taken the Levites instead of the first-born of the Children of Israel to himself he had given them unto Aaron and his Sons for his own Service and the Service of the Tabernacle Therefore he and his Sons should exercise their Priests Office in all things that concern the Altar of Burnt-Offerings and in all things which are to be done within the outward Veil whereby the holy place is divided from the Court the High Priest in the most holy place and inferiour Priests within the Sanctuary or holy place And God tells Aaron and his Sons That 't is his free Gift and favour to them that he had made choice of them before others for the Priestly Office and that He had ordained That whoever is not of Aaron's Line and goeth about to meddle with the Priestly Office shall be put to death from vers 1. to 8. The Lord having thus set down the Office and Work of the Priests and Levites he
of my Providence mercifully visited them and have observed what hath been done unto them in Egypt and that I do intend assuredly to deliver them out of the House of Bondage and will bring them into Canaan a Land abounding with all things serving both for Necessity and Delight And the Elders of the People shall hearken unto thee and shall go along with thee to Pharaoh (g) The deniall of this will make Pharaoh the more inexcusable and the Justice of God more manifest upon him and you shall say unto him The Lord God of the Hebrews hath appeared to us and commanded us to offer to Him a Sacrifice and to celebrate to Him a Feast thereon and hath commanded Us to come to thee and to request of Thee so much liberty that we may go three days Journey (h) Viz. To Horeb v. 12. which was but a three days Journey from Egypt had they gone the direct way But because of troubles and fears they were led about Exod. 13.17 18. So that they came not thither till the third month Exod. 19.1 into the Wilderness to perform this Sacrifice (i) In Egypt they could not do it without danger from the Egyptians to whom their Sacrifices were such an abomination that to offer them before their eyes might provoke them to stone them Exod. 8.26 to the Lord our God The Lord further adds I know Pharaoh will be so obstinate that he will not let you go no not by a mighty Hand that is no not though divers great and heavy Plagues be inflicted on him For I will stretch out my Hand upon Egypt and will smite them with all those great and smarting Plagues which I intend to bring upon them and I know that not till after the last and tenth Plague viz. the slaying of their First-born will he let you go And I will before I bring you out of Egypt give you favour in the eyes of the Egyptians and they shall be willing to lend (k) Annon dolo malo usi sunt qui haec petebant cum aliud in animo haberent Non est mendacium sed silentium integrae veritatis Non dixerunt se hoc tantum facturos partem consilii aperit Deus Tyranno partem celat quia est liberrimus Deut. 2.30 1 Sam. 16.1 you any thing you shall desire of them viz. Jewels of Silver and of Gold and fine Raiment and you shall put them upon your Sons and upon your Daughters and so you shall come forth with great Substance as I have promised Gen. 15.14 (l) This was no Theft or Sin God having commanded it who is Lord Paramount of all and likewise intended hereby to recompence his People for the Injuries they had received from the Egyptians and that by these Spoils they might be furnished with precious Materials for the Tabernacle and shall spoil the Egyptians Moses Replies That he feared his Country-men the Hebrews would be very difficult at first to believe him or that God had indeed appeared to him and humbly desires to know what he should do in that case The Lord to incourage him against his fears furnishes him with Power to work Miracles which might be an Evidence of the Divine Presence with him and a Seal to the Israelites that he came with Commission from God and that God had sent him Accordingly first he bids him throw down his Rod or Staff which he had in his hand upon the ground and suddenly it became a Serpent (m) To change one Creature into another not in appearance only but really requires a Divine Power so that Moses was ready to fly from it out of fear But God Commands him to take it by the tail which he accordingly did and it became immediately a Rod again Then God commanded him to put his hand into his Bosom which when he plucked it out again it was become as white and leprous as Snow Then God commanded him to put it into his Bosom again and when he drew it out this second time behold it was as whole and sound as his other hand Then the Lord tells him That if the Children of Israel were not wrought upon nor did incline to believe him for the first Sign possibly they would for the second But if it should so happen that they should not be brought to believe him for either of these when he came into Egypt he should take of the water of the River Nilus and pour it upon the ground and it should presently become blood upon the dry Land which should be a further Demonstration to them that God had sent him Moses being still fearful Replied Ah Lord I am not Eloquent (n) Indeed Stephen said of him Acts 7.22 That he was mighty in words that is He was an excellent Speaker as to the substance of what he spake yet some defect he had as to his utterance Some think he had a stammering Tongue which made him say Ch. 6.12 How shall Pharaoh hear me who am of uncircumcised lips I am not a man of a free and ready Speech as those should be who are employed to speak to Princes I am slow of speech I was so formerly neither do I find the matter much mended with me since thou didst vouchsafe to speak to me and Call me to this great Service The Lord answered Who hath given to man the faculty of Speech or who deprives him of that faculty and so of Hearing or Seeing Do not I the Lord give these Abilities and take them away at my pleasure Now therefore Go I will be with thy mouth and will teach thee what thou shalt say But Moses being still under great fears and deeply apprehensive of his own unfitness for so difficult a Service He cried out Ah Lord I pray thee send by the Ministry of such an one whom thou wilt find fitter for this great Service than I am whoever he be and send not by me who am so unfit and so unable Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses for this his distrustful Despondency (o) Modeste renuentem passus est Mosen Deus non obstinatius reluctantem and He said Is not Aaron the Levite thy Brother I know that he is a good Spokes-man and he shall be joyned in Commission with thee and I will by an inward motion of my Spirit cause him to come forth to meet thee and he will be heartily glad to see thy face again and thou shalt instruct him concerning this your common Commission and I will teach you both what you shall do He shall speak to the people as from thee and thou shalt give Direction and Counsel to him as from Me revealing my Mind and Will unto him and acquainting him what he shall say to Pharaoh Ch. 7. 1. And thou shalt take this Rod of thine in thy hand and with it thou shalt do Signs and Wonders before Pharaoh and the Egyptians Ch. 3. whole Chapter Ch. 4. from vers 1. to vers
Circumcision was with the Jews a Badge of God's people Therefore those that were not Circumcised were counted profane and their Uncircumcision was counted a grievous blemish Hence it was that in a Figurative Speech they counted those things that had any natural or moral blemish uncircumcised as a Heart or Mind or Tongue uncircumcised Hinc homines viles ad aliquam rem inepti incircumcisi ea parte vocantur and had an imperfection in his speech and utterance and was very unfit to be sent to Pharaoh on such a Message as that was However God bids Him and Aaron go again to the Children of Israel and to encourage them with expectation of Deliverance and to go to Pharaoh to require him in his Name to let them go Moses and Aaron being thus to be imployed as Instruments in the Hand of God of this great Deliverance their Stock and Lineage is here set down to shew that they were both descended of Levi and this might possibly be so ordered by the Spirit of God as an Antidote against the fabulous Reports of Heathen Writers such as Justin and Tacitus who tell false Stories of the Original both of Moses and of the people of the Jews Which things though they happened not till many years after yet were now fore-seen by the Spirit of God who assistâ—â— Moses in penning this History And Moses being to set down his own and Aarons Descent from Levi for orders sake he begins with the Stock of Reuben and Simeon Levi's elder Brothers And possibly in this place he mentions only those three and not the Heads of the other Tribes that it might appear that they were not rejected of God notwithstanding Jacob's severe Commination Gen. 49.3 5. As also to shew that though Reuben and Simeon were elder then Levi yet God had freely chosen out of the Tribe of Levi Moses to be the first Captain of his people and his Brother Aaron the first High Priest to whom his Posterity should succeed in that Office And these are that very Moses and Aaron whom the Lord commanded to bring forth the Children of Israel out of Egypt who were increased now to many thousands so that they might be called the Hosts of the Lord Exod. 12.37 41. Ch. 5. whole Chapter Ch. 6. from vers 1. to 28. SECT LXIII MOses being now 80 (t) The reason why Moses's age is here set down seems to be to shew how long God in his wise Providence had suffered the Egyptians to oppress the Israelites with such cruel bondage even before the birth of Moses till he came to be 80 years of age And the reverence and respect due to the venerable age He and Aaron were of rendred them the more fit to undertake such a service and Aaron 83 years of Age they are commanded by the Lord to go again to Pharaoh to require him to dismiss the people Moses would have excused himself again because he was not Eloquent but the Lord tells him Behold I have made thee a God (u) Quia adversus Pharaonem divinam quandam potestatem exercuit dum ab eo timetur dum oratur dum punit dum medetur dum verbo animalia quasi creat destruit coelum denique ac terram commovet ut explicat Hilarius lib. 7. de Trin. to Pharaoh that is one to whom the Word of God shall come and by whom it shall be made known to Aaron and by him to Pharaoh For Aaron shall be thy Interpreter and Spokes-man But I know that Pharaoh will not hearken unto you but will harden his heart against all that you shall say However be not discouraged thereat for I will multiply my Signs and Wonders in the Land of Egypt and will bring forth my Hosts that is my people the Children of Israel by inflicting great Plagues and Judgments on the Egyptians and they shall know that I am the Lord by the Judgments that I will execute upon them and by which I will at last deliver my people Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them and went again unto Pharaoh requiring him in the Name of the Lord to let the Children of Israel go out of his Land Pharaoh asks them How he shall know that they were sent of God What Miracle could they work to induce him to believe it Moses hereupon gave Aaron his Rod and bad him cast it upon the ground and said It should become a Serpent and Aaron did so before Pharaoh and his Servants and accordingly it became a Serpent (x) It seems the change wrought before Pharaoh was not into an ordinary Serpent called Nehash but into some greater Creature here called a Dragon Tavin Then Pharaoh called for his Magicians and Sorcerers wherewith the Land of Egypt abounded and whereof the chief at that time were Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 and they did the like in outward shew and appearance but not in reality the Devil by whose Power they did work casting a mist before the peoples eyes whereby they thought they saw that which indeed was not I say these Magicians cast down their Rods and they seemed to be turned also into Serpents (y) Dici potest veros dracones sive Serpentes aliunde adductos ope Damonis virgarum loco fuisse substitutos ita fallendo oculos ut nemo praestigias istas animadverteret or Dragons Some aerial Representations possibly of them being there made by the art of the Devil or possibly the Devil might bring thither some true Serpents unperceiveably from other places and might remove the Rods from the peoples eyes But the Dragon or Serpent into which Aarons Rod was turned swallowed (z) Notandum praestigias Magorum non obfuisse Mosi sed magis profuisse Semper enim aliquid adsuit quo divina signa praecellerent Nam Serpens Moysis devoravit eorum Serpentes Aquam illi in sanguinem mutare potuerunt non rursum sanguinem in aquam ranas afferre non tollere Nempe ut per eas plagae augeri possent non minui Post devorationem Virga Aaronis in statum pristinum reversa est up theirs God hereby shewing that the Power whereby Moses and Aaron had wrought their Miracle was infinitely above that of Satan whereby the Magicians had endeavoured to equal the Work which Moses had done Yet notwithstanding this Miracle Pharaoh's heart was still hardened so that he would not let the people go as God had foretold Exod. 6. vers 28 29 30. Exod. 7. from 1. to 14. SECT LXIV PHaraoh continuing still obstinate God sends Moses and Aaron again to him and by their Ministry inflicts ten Plagues successively upon the Eyptians from which the Israelites as 't is probable were wholly exempted See Exod. 8.22 9.26 10.23 All which are reckoned Psal 78. 105. which Plagues were all sent within one month in this Order 1. God Commands Moses and Aaron to go and meet Pharaoh the next Morning First Plague Their waters turned into Bloud
Hand O Lord is become Glorious in Power Thy right Hand hath broken and destroyed the Enemy and by thy glorious and excellent Power thou hast overthrown the Egyptians who in rising up against thy people did rise up against thee Thou didst send forth thy Wrath which consumed them utterly and speedily even as stubble is consumed by the fire With the blast of thy Nostrils the Waters were gathered together that is by a mighty Wind raised by thine Almighty Power accompanied with a great Noise (p) To this the Prophet seems to have reference Hab. 3. 10. the Sea was divided and the Waters were heaped up on either side and stood like congealed or compacted Walls in the heart of the Sea The Enemy said I will pursue overtake and divide the Spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my Sword my Hand shall destroy them But thou O Lord didst soon confound their vain Imaginations For thou didst blow with a mighty Wind and immediately the Waters came together again and the Sea covered them they sank as lead in the deep Waters Who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods who among all the false Gods of the Heathen or the mightiest men on the Earth is in any degree worthy to be compared to Thee who art glorious in holiness fearful in praises that is to be praised with a great measure of filial fear and awfulness doing Wonders Thou stretchedst out thy Hand and the Earth swallowed them that is those of them whose bodies were cast up by the Waves upon the shore were thrown into Pits by us and there buried Thou in thy great Mercy hast brought forth thy people whom thou hast redeemed out of the Land of Egypt and hast thus far led them by thine Almighty Power and Strength towards the Land of Canaan where thou hast determined to set up thy holy Temple thy resting Place Psal 132.14 The Place which thou hast chosen where thy holy Worship shall be set up and established and where thou hast promised to dwell that is to afford thy special Presence See 1 Kings 9. vers 3. The Second Part of this Song is Prophetical beginning at v. 14. The people shall hear and be afraid sorrow shall take hold on the Inhabitants of Palestina That is the report of this dreadful overthrow of Pharaoh shall so amaze and astonish the Inhabitants of Palestina the Dukes of Edom and the mighty men of Moab (q) See this Prophesie fulfilled Numb 22.3 Josh 2.9 5.1 and the Inhabitants of Canaan that their very hearts shall faint and melt with fear as wax does before the fire insomuch that they shall be as still as a stone and Israel shall pass over Jordan into Canaan without opposition Thou wilt bring them in and plant them in the Mountain of thine Inheritance that is in Canaan a mountanous Country Deut. 11.11 and particularly thou wilt bring them to Mount Moriah which thou hast chosen as thine Inheritance and where by thy own Hands and Power thou intendest to establish thy Sanctuary and where thou hast promised to dwell and to afford thy gracious Presence The Lord will Reign for ever and ever in spight of all his Enemies Miriam (r) She was the Sister of Moses also but her reference to Aaron was best known by reason of Moses's absence She is said to be the wife of Hur by the Hebrews the Sister of Aaron who had the Spirit of Prophesie Numb 12.2 and was one of the three Principal Guides which God gave his people Mich. 6.4 took a Timbrel in her hand and the Women followed her playing on their Timbrels also according to the Custom in publick Rejoycings Judg. 11.34 and they expressed their exultation and rapture of Mind by lively motions and tripudiations of their Bodies and when the Men had sang a Verse of this Song then She with the Women sung it over again at least they repeated the first Verse of it Sing to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea And possibly they added For his Mercy endureth for ever as 't is Psal 136. 2 Chron. 5.13 With this Song of Moses for Victory over the Egyptian-Pharaoh the Holy Ghost compares the Song of them that shall be Victorious over the Spiritual Pharaoh viz. the Beast and Antichrist Rev. 15. from 1. to 5. Exod. 15. from 1. to 22. SECT VI. THe Israelites being now come on the other side of the Red-Sea they marched three whole days thorow the Wilderness of Shur (s) Called also the Wilderness of Etham Numb 33.8 one might be the general name of the whole Wilderness and the other of some part of it It seems the Wilderness on both sides of the Red-Sea was called the Wilderness of Etham but found no water all the way As for Food 't is probable they were sustained with that unleavened Bread and other provisions they had brought with them out of Egypt At last they came to Marah their fifth Encamping where they found water indeed but it was so bitter they could not drink it hereupon they murmur against Moses asking him in a discontented mood What they should drink Moses upon this Cries unto the Lord who shewed him a Tree which when he had cast into the waters the waters were made sweet But the changing of the nature and tast of the waters was to be attributed to the Power of God and not to any vertue in that Tree After God had thus tried them and proved them not only by their want of water but by his present favourable dealing with them in not punishing them for their murmuring as he might justly have done He then admonishes them by Moses to take heed of this sin of murmuring against Him or distrusting of Him and to carry themselves more obediently towards Him for the future And so he made this a Statute and an Ordinance That if they would do that which was right in his sight and would obey his Commandments and keep all his Statutes he would bring none of those Diseases and Plagues upon them which he had brought on the Egyptians For He was their Healer (t) V. 26. Medicus quia ex omnibus periculis malis tam animarum quam corporum quae morbis morti saepe comparantur homines sibi confisos liberat Psal 103. v. 3. Glasius and could heal not only their Bodies but their Souls also by forgiving their sins and sanctifying their natures Exod. 15. from 22. to 27. SECT VII FRom Marah they removed to Elim their sixth Station famous for twelve Wells of water and 70 Palm-Trees And here it seems they stayed many days because the Place was so pleasant and convenient by reason of the waters and the shade Exod. 15. vers 27. SECT VIII FRom Elim they turned back again to the Red-Sea which was their seventh Station as appears from Numb 33.10 the Lord so ordering it as 't is probable that
supposed to be a Foot and half of our measure The Ark was therefore a Yard and nine inches long and three quarters of a Yard high and broad Gen. 6.15 and half in length and a Cubit and half in breadth and in height It was to be overlaid with plates of pure Gold within and without and they were to make a golden Garland crown or border round about it And two gilt Rings were to be made on each side of it and Staves of Shittim-wood gilt to be put into the Rings by which the Levites and none else were to carry it on their Shoulders see Numb 7.9 And they were to make a Lid or Covering for it called the Mercy-Seat or Propitiatory (t) This Mercy-Seat was a Type of Christ by whom we are covered from the Wrath of God and Curse of the Law of pure beaten Gold and two Cherubims (u) His Angeli designantur assistentes Deo Mat. 18.10 Christo morem gerentes Mat. 4.11 Heb. 1.6 atque in Ecclesiae subsidium parati Heb. 1.14 confer 1 Sam. 4. of Gold at the ends of it stretching forth their Wings and with their Faces looking one towards the other And there God promises to meet with them (x) There especially did God speak to them though not there only See Ch. 29.42 Numb 12.5 and from between the Cherubims on the Mercy-Seat to Commune with them and give them his Oracles and Commandments in an audible Voice Exod. 25. from 10. to 23. 3ly He gives Directions concerning framing the Table of Shew-Bread which was to be of Shittim-wood and according to our measure a Yard long half a Yard broad and three quarters of a Yard high It was to be overlaid with pure Gold and a Border or List of an hands-breath to be made about it and a golden Garland Crown or Fringe to go about that rising from the edge of the Table and bounding it on every side And four gilded Rings on the four corners of the feet thereof and gilded Staves of Shittim-wood to be put into those Rings to carry it by that so it might be born on the Priests Shoulders Four kinds of Vessels belonging to this Table were also to be made of pure Gold 1. Dishes to hold the Cakes or Loaves of Shew-Bread which were to be twelve in number according to the twelve Loaves see Levit. 24.5 that were to be set therein and some of these Dishes possibly were to hold Frankincense which was to be put upon each row of the Shew-Bread Levit. 24.7 to intimate to them that they ought to send up Praises to God for their daily Bread 2. Spoons to put the Frankincense into the Dishes and to take it out again when it was to be burnt upon the Altar of Incense 3. Covers or Plates for the covering of the Loaves 4. Bowles for the covering of the Dishes of Frankincense or which might serve for the burning of the Frankincense Shew-bread was to be set upon this Table before the Lord always 'T was called Shew-bread because it was to be set upon the Table and so shewed and set in view and presented before the Lord. There were every week twelve (y) Per hos panes duodecim Tribus pulchre significabant se a Deo continuo ali gratitudinis ergo perpetuum quasi Sacrificium illi offerre Haec Christi mensam indicat Sanctorum communionem item coeleste Grandium verbique variam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anonym in loc Cakes (z) Every Cake was to contain two homers or tenth deales of an Epha or Bushel of fine Flour enough to serve two men for one day every one containing eight pounds as Ribera thinks thereof to be made according to the number of the twelve Tribes of Israel These with pure Incense were to be set every Sabbath day new upon the Table in two rows six on a row and the old bread was then to be taken away and eaten by the Priests Levit. 24.5 9. The Bread on this Table was tendred to God as a Quit-rent or acknowledgment that they held all their Food from his Providence and Bounty Exod. 25. from vers 23. to 31. 4ly Concerning the framing of the golden Candelstick which was to be made with a shaft and six branches coming out of the sides of it three on one side one above another and three on the other side all of beaten Gold And seven Sookets were to be made one on the top of the Shaft and the other on the six Branches whereinto the Oil was to be put to feed the Lamps that they might give light round about it See Numb 8.2 And the Tongs and Snuffers that were appointed to raise up the Wick of the Lamps and make them burn brighter were all to be of Gold and a talent of Gold was to be spent in the making of this Candlestick and the things appertaining to it which amounts to 120 pound weight From 31. to the end 5ly The Children of Israel were charged to bring pure * By this pure Oil was signified the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit whereby the Ministers of God are fitted to be as lights among the people Oil-Olive beaten viz. such as ran from the Olives when they were first beaten or stamped which was clearer and purer than that which was crushed out with a Press With this the Priests were to maintain the Lamps and to cause them to burn always that is every night (a) 'T is conceived that the Lamps burnt only in the Night and were put out in the Morning which some infer from 1 Sam. 3.3 where 't is said The Lord appeared to Samuel ere the Lamp of God went out in the Temple to wit before break of day For they were to light them in the Evening and in the Morning to put them out and cleanse them and trim them to be lighted again at Night Exod. 27.20 21. 6ly Concerning the Altar of Incense (b) The Incense did signifie how the prayers of the Saints through Christ are acceptable to God See Rev. 8.3 Psal 141.2 Rev. 5.8 to be made of Shittim-wood foursquare a Cubit in length and a Cubit in breadth and two Cubits in height with Horns or little Pyramids at the four corners thereof and it was to be overlaid with Gold therefore called Numb 4.11 the golden Altar but Ezek. 41.22 't is called the wooden Altar and so it shadowed Christ in both his Natures his Deity giving glory to his Humanity And it was to have a gilded Garland round about the edges of it and two gilded Rings on each side at each corner and Staves of Shittim-wood to be put through those Rings to carry it with when the Tabernacle was to be removed Numb 4.11 And it was to be placed in the holy Place before the Veil that was to separate the most Holy from the holy Place just before the Mercy-Seat And Aaron was appointed not in quality of High Priest but only as a Priest for to this Office the
burn Incense was within the Tabernacle at the Altar of Incense but this was an extraordinary occasion and a means enjoyned for the discovery of the Lords will whither these men or only Aaron and his Sons as formerly should enter into the Tabernacle to execute the Priests Office Corah having assembled his Confederates and the generality of the people before the Tabernacle and not finding Dathan and Abiram there as it should seem went to their Tents to talk with them see Ch. 26.10 and probably from them He went to his own Tent before Moses and the Elders came to the Tabernacle as presently they did In the mean time the 250 Conspirators on the one side taking fire from the Altar and putting it into their Censers and laying Incense thereon and Aaron near to whom Moses stood doing the like on the other God now signifies his approach and the actual manifestation of his Presence by the descending of the Cloud which used to hover over the Tabernacle to the door (x) See vers 42. of this Chap. and Ch. 12.5 thereof And the Lord spake to Moses and Aaron saying Separate your selves from among this Congreation that I may consume these Conspirators and all that joyn with them in a moment Then Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the Lord and said O God the God of the Spirits of all Flesh who formest the spirit of man within him Zach. 12.1 and seest and knowest the spirits and hearts of all men and art able to discern between those that sin obstinately and those that are only seduced by others and drawn hither only to see what would be done Shall one man sin viz. Corah the chief Incendiary and wilt thou be wroth with the whole Congregation Upon this intercession the Lord was pleased to spare the people that would depart from these Rebells And then imparting to Moses what He intended to do commands him to warn the Congregation to get away from the Tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram Moses accordingly rose up many of the Elders of Israel accompanying him to denounce the Judgment of God against these Conspirators and he warns the Congregation to depart from the Tents of these wicked men and to get far from them and to touch nothing of theirs as judging all that they have execrable and accursed lest they perish (y) V. 26. Lest you be consumed in all their sins that is lest you be destroyed in the Judgment that will fall upon them for all their sins the cause is here put for the effect in the Judgment which was ready to fall upon them for their great Sins and Provocations The people accordingly did so and fled from the Tents of these men but Dathan and Abiram impudently came out and stood in the doors of their Tents with their Wives and Children as if they intended to out-face Moses and scorned the Judgment he threatned against them Moses then sayed Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me and hath appointed me to take upon my self the Government of this people and hath conferred the Priesthood on Aaron and his Sons and that I have not done these things on my own head If these men die the common and ordinary death of other men then the Lord hath not sent me But if the Lord by his Almighty Power do work a new and hitherto-unheard of Miracle so that the Earth open her mouth and swallow them up quick then you must needs acknowledge that I am innocent and that these men have highly provoked the Lord. Moses having made an end of speaking the Earth immediately opened her mouth and swallowed up * An undoubted evidence of Gods concurrence with the ministry of Moses and withall an undoubted assurance of the divine truth of Moses's Writings these Rebels and all that appertained to them that were there present And the same it seems happened and probably at the same time to Corah and his Family as appeareth Numb 26.10 only some of his Children who as 't is like joyned not in their Fathers sin or if they did soon repented of it and gave over and departed from their Fathers Tent at Moses's warning were spared And of their Race came such as either composed some of the Psalms or at least were famous Singers in the Temple and Samuel also the great Prophet and Judge in Israel was of that Race see 1 Chron. 6.33 to 38. Thus perished the Ringleaders of this Rebellion All the Israelites that were near them fled at the Cry of them fearing lest the Earth should swallow up them also And as a further addition to the dreadfulness of this Judgment there came fire out from the Lord and consumed their 250 Confederates who had offered Incense and usurped the Priests Office They are punished with fire as by fire they had offended see Levit. 10.2 Moses now by Gods Command appointeth Eleazar the Son of Aaron to gather up the Censers from among the ashes of the dead bodies of these men that were burnt and consumed and to scatter the fire that was in them without the Court of the Tabernacle as shewing that God rejected it and their Service and abhorred their Sacrifice And he tells him That the Censers of these Sinners against their own Souls were now hallowed (z) Sanctificata dicuntur quia ex deputatione Dei servire deinceps debebant divina gloriae illustrandae having been presented before the Lord by his Commandment and he orders him to make broad Plates of them for a covering of the Altar (a) A parte anteriori altaris ponebantur ut a populo conspici possint of Burnt-Offerings which was covered with Plates of Brass before see Exod. 27.2 And the less need there was of them the fitter they were to be a sign of Gods Judgment against presumptuous Conspirators and of his vindicating and clearing the innocency of his faithful Servants and to be a Memorial to the Children of Israel that all Israelites and Levites excepting Aaron's Sons are to be reckoned as Strangers in respect of the Priests Office and may not aspire to it lest they perish as Corah and his Confederates did However the very next morning after those dismal Judgments had been executed all the Congregation of the people that were inclined to this Faction whose lives Moses had saved the day before by praying to the Lord for them murmured against Him and Aaron and peremptorily told them That they had killed the Lords people Moses and Aaron being thus injuriously charged looked up to God as having no other Refuge or Shelter to fly unto and immediately behold the Cloud descended upon the Tabernacle as a sign of the approach and actual manifestation of the glorious Presence of God and that he intended to speak something unto them Moses and Aaron presenting themselves before the Lord the Lord bad them get them up presently from among this rebellious Company that he might consume them in a moment But they fell
their eleventh station at Rephidim by Mount Sinai struck the Rock in Horeb as God commanded Him and water came forth And he named the place Massah or Meribah But here at this their 33th station 38 years after with Aaron's budded Rod having his spirit provoked by these rebellious people He smites the Rock twice without any such Command or Commission from God to smite it at all And he and Aaron likewise as it seems speak unadvisedly with their lips * See Psal 106.33 uttering words of passion and distrust possibly to this purpose Hear now ye Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock Never imagine that God will work such a Miracle for such a rebellious Crew as ye are However the Rock gave forth water abundantly God was very angry with Moses and Aaron that they had thus distrusted him and had not sanctified * V. 12. Ut sanctificaretis me alloquendo Petram Et miraculum cum fiducia praedicendo Ita mortem His interminatur ut populus intelligeret sibi non parciturum Deum qui viris tantis non pepercerit Porro haec Feri allegoria uti non Moses Hebraeos sed Joshua perduxit in Palestinam ita non Lex in caelum nos verum Christus evehit Demum hinc palam est quo spiritu haec Moses scripserit qui vitia net celet sua nec suorum Vide Cap. 12.1 Anonym in loc Publice peccarunt ideoque severius cum iis egit Deus quam alibi cum Moses infidelitatem proderet Numb 11.22 23. quia tum primum peccavit him inwardly in their hearts by trusting in Him 1 Pet. 3.15 nor glorified him outwardly by ascribing to him the glory of his truth and power before the Children of Israel and therefore He tells them They shall not bring that people into Canaan see Deut. 3.25 26. And as the former place at Rephidim was called Massah and Meribah viz. a place of Strife and Contention because the people there strove with the Lord that is contended with Moses his Servant which he accounts as contending with Himself so shall this also be called And thus the Lord was sanctified in them or among them that is among the Israelites by giving them water and thereby manifesting his Almighty Power Faithfulness and his Goodness and Compassion towards them notwithstanding their great Provocations Numb 20. from 1. to 14. SECT LXIX MOses now by Gods direction sends Messengers to the King of Edom to desire Him that He would please to permit them who were His own flesh and blood as being descended from Jacob Brother to Esau to pass thorow his Country that being the nearest and most convenient way into Canaan And they amiably desire this because God had charged them that they should not meddle with the Sons of Esau or their possession Deut. 2.4 5. He tells him He cannot but have heard of their sore and long Troubles and Oppressions which they suffered in Egypt and how upon their crying unto the Lord he sent his Angel viz. his own eternal Son the Angel or Mediator of the Covenant of Grace see Exod. 3.2 and Mal. 3.1 who conducted them in the way by a Cloud and Pillar of fire He tells him They would not turn aside into their Fields or Vineyards to do them any damage and would drink only of their Rivers that were common and not meddle with their Wells digged for their private use which were very precious in those hot and dry Countries without paying for it But the King of Edom would not consent to it so they were forc'd to fetch a compass thorow the Wilderness which lay about the Land of Edom. Notwithstanding as they went along their Coasts in the out-skirts of their Country the Edomites afforded them Victuals for their money Deut. 2.29 though they did not come forth to meet them with bread and water as men use to do who wish success and prosperity to those to whom they bring it see Deut. 23.3 4. Numb 20. from vers 14. to 22. SECT LXX FRom Kadesh the Camp removes to mount Hor. * A hill in Mosera Deut. 10.6 or whos 's other top was called Moscra From this Mount Hor the people that were driven out of this Country by Esau were called Horims Deut. 2.12 and Esau is called the Horite Gen. 36.20 Here God tells Moses That Aaron should be gathered unto his people that is his godly fore-Fathers that died before him see Gen. 25.8 Heb. 12.23 He commands him to bring Aaron and Eleazar his Son up to the top of Mount Hor. And they accordingly went up in the sight of all the Congregation Here Aaron being attired in all his glorious Vestments Moses strips him of them and puts them upon Eleazar his Son to shew that God had appointed him to succeed in his Fathers Office and that the High Priests eldest Son (k) Eleazar's Sons did succeed him to the time of the Judges Then the High Priesthood was translated to the Posterity of Ithamar the other Son of Aaron for Eli was of the stock of Ithamar or the next Heir of their Family unless rendred uncapable by some blemish was still to succed in that Office Thus on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after their coming out of Egypt Aaron being an 123 years old (l) See Numb 33.38 died seven months and seven days before Moses and was there buried and the whole Congregation mourned for him 30 days * So long they mourned for Moses Deut. 34.8 Numb 20. from vers 22. to the end SECT LXXI AT this time King Arad the Canaanite whose Country lay in the South of Canaan understanding by the Spies he had sent forth to observe the course of the Israelites V. 1. By the way of the Spies it might be a way so called and well known by that name at that time that they were turned back again from the Red-Sea and marched directly upon the South of Canaan not knowing of Moses's purpose to compass the Land of Edom he immediately marched forth with his Army as far as Mount Hor in the edge of the Desart where the Israelites now lay and there fought with them and took some of them Prisoners The Israelites intending to renew the battel and again once more to encounter Arad and his Army they call'd upon the Lord for help and vowed unto Him that if he would please to deliver these Enemies into their hands they would utterly destroy and burn their Cities and that nothing of their Goods should be reserved for their own private use The Lord was pleased to hear their prayer so that in the second battel they vanquish'd and overcame them But how could the Israelites being so far off in the Wilderness destroy their Cities lying in Canaan Numb 33.40 into which they came not till after Moses's death It seems the performance of this Vow was long after made viz. when they were come unto the Land For the King of
David 1 Chron. 18.13 and thereupon he sung that triumphant Song Psal 60.8 Moab is my washpot that is I have so subdued them that I use them in my meanest services as a vessel to wash my feet in over Edom will I cast my shooe that is I will trample upon the Edomites as a vanquished people He says therefore Out of the house of Jacob shall come one that shall have the Dominion and shall destroy the Edomites and not only those that are found in Arms in the Field but those also that remain in the several Cities and fortified Places that shall oppose him Then looking towards the Country of the Amalekites the Posterity of Esau Gen. 36.12 He uttered this Parable or Prediction concerning them Amalek was the first of the Nations that warred against Israel see Exod. 17. but he is appointed to be destroyed till he be rooted from the face of the earth This was fulfilled in part by Saul 1 Sam. 15. and after in Mordecai's time see Esther 7. Then he looked towards the Country of the Midianites called here Kenites from one principal Family or People among them which is put for the whole Nation and predicted this of them Thy dwelling is strong thou buildest thy Nest or Habitation like Eagles among the Rocks yet thou shalt endure much at the hand of several Enemies which was in part accomplished when the Midianites were vanqished by Gideon Judg. 7.2 and shalt at length be carried away Captive by the Assyrians who with the Jews carried away all the Nations round about them compare Jer. 25.9 with 1 Chron. 2.55 And he further added Alas who shall live that is who almost can escape when God shall do this intimating the greivous Calamity of that time when the Assyrians shall make this havock And Ships shall come from the Coast of Chittim and shall afflict Ashur and shall afflict Eber and he shall also perish for ever that is the great Empire of Asia first held by the Assyrians afterwards by the Chaldeans and last of all by the Persians shall be destroyed by the Greeks and Macedonians properly called Chittim (u) Chittim was one of the Sons of Javan the Son of Japhet who seated themselves in Macedonia and the Greek Islands Afterwards the Greeks passing over from thence into Italy and planting themselves there even Italy was also called Chittim Gen. 10.4 Isa 23.1.12 under Alexander the Great and afterwards by the Romans who came into Asia out of the Harbours of Greece Dan. 11.30 And the Jewish Nation and their Country shall be much infected and evil intreated by the Grecians of Syria and Egypt Dan. 8.11 11.31 and much more by the Romans under Vespasian and Titus The Greeks also at last shall be ruined by the Romans and their Empire shall be overthrown by them As for the Roman Empire it self it is now much fallen and the usurping State thereof under the Papacy God will at last consume with the breath of his mouth 2 Thess 2.8 Thus Balaam as he began with the blessing of Israel so he endeth with the destruction of their Enemies Then he went away with a purpose to return home but was stayed as it seems by the Midianites and among them was afterward killed by the Sword of Israel Numb 31.8 Numb 23. whole Chapter Numb 24. whole Chapter SECT LXXX ISrael now being encamped at Abel-Shittim see Ch. 33.49 in the very borders of the promised Land the Women of Moab and Midian were set on work according to the wicked Counsel of Balaam see Numb 31.16 Rev. 2.14 to turn the people to Idolatry and to allure them to commit folly with them that so the Favour of God being thereby turned away from them they might be exposed to mischief from their Enemies And accordingly a great number of the people did commit Whoredom with them and being invited by them to their Idolatrous Feasts made upon Sacrifices offered to their Gods at length were drawn to open Idolatry also see Exod. 34.15 and to bow down to their Gods and worship them Thus a great many of the Israelites worshipped Baal-Peor * See Hosea 9.10 which was the Idol-god of the Moabites so called from Mount-Peor where this Idol was worshipped and the anger of the Lord was greatly kindled against them for it And he commanded Moses to call the Heads and Princes of the people together and by their assistance to take all the Ringleaders of this disorder and to hang them up before the Sun that is openly in the sight of all men that as they had sinned openly they might be punished openly for the terrour of others and this was accordingly done Then Moses gave order to the Judges and Rulers to put to death all such of them that were under their several Commands whom they found to have joyned themselves to Baal-Peor And last of all God sent a Plague among them whereof there died 23000 men in one day see 1 Cor. 10.8 which added to them that were hanged and killed by the Sword amounted in all to 24000. During these dreadful Judgments and Executions Zimri a Prince of Renown in the Tribe of Simeon openly and impudently in the sight of Moses and all the Congreation who were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle under a sense of the wrath of God whereby so many of their Brethren had been cut off carried Cozbi the Daughter of a Prince of Midian into his Tent to commit folly with her Phineas the Son of Eleazar understanding this being stirred up with an holy zeal for God and by the special motion of his Spirit he took a Javelin in his hand and ran into the Tent and slew them both in the very act of their Villany and by this heroick act of Phineas the wrath of God was appeased and the Plague stayed see Psal 106.30 And God was so well pleased therewith that he commands Moses to make known for Phineas's incouragement that he had given unto him his Covenant of peace for the setling of the Priesthood in his Posterity and to be continued in his Seed as long as ever the Levitical Priesthood should continue * V. 13. Sempiternum id dicitur quod diutuâ—num admodum Nam post pronepotem Phinees translatus erat Pontificatus ad Eli qui erat de familia Ithamari ut patet 1 Paralip 24.3 Foedus ergo hoc conditionatum fuit nempe si posteri in fide perseveraverint Ad tempus interruptum orat sed post quatuor Pontifices vi hujus foederis resipiscentibus posteris Phineas rediit tempore Davidis Solomonis ad Sadoc ex Eleazari Phinees familia in qua deinceps postea mansit ad Herodis tempora usque ad Christum provided they walked in ways pleasing unto God And he call it his Covenant of Peace First Because they should peaceably injoy it 2ly Because the work of the Priest was to make peace between God and the people Now though the Dignity of being High
him not a man among them would open his mouth for him or do any thing to prevent the danger he was in however Jonathan that truly loved him resolv'd to speak for him and therefore he said to his Father Let not the King sin against his servant against David for he hath not sinned against thee but his works and deeds have been very good towards thee for he put his life in his hand and slew the Philistine and the Lord wrought a great Salvation for all Israel thereby thou sawest it and didst rejoice therein Wherefore then wilt thou sin against God and shed innocent blood and slay David without a cause How high a degree of ingratitude and injustice will it be so ill to requite so noble an exploit which did at that time so exceedingly affect thee Saul was so melted with these words of Jonathan that he solemnly sware to him at that time that David should not die but great and frequent swearers do often forget what they have sworn and do not stick to forswear themselves and break their Oaths as we shall see Saul soon did However Jonathan not knowing what was in his heart calls David and acquaints him with what his Father had said and promised and so he brought him again to the Court and he was in the presence of Saul as in time past During his continuing there the Philistines again made an inroad into the Land and David went out and fought against them with great courage and slew them with a great slaughter and the rest of them fled to their own Country Ch. 19. from 1 to 9. 6ly The evil spirit being again upon Saul and he having a Javelin in his hand as David played upon his harp before him in a frantick fit he ran his Javelin so violently at him as if he intended to have pinned him to the wall but David nimbly avoiding the stroke the Javelin ran into the wall And this was the third time that Saul had sought to kill him with his own hand David therefore thought it now high time to shift for himself and so he left the Court and went to his own house From v. 9 to 11. 7ly Saul then sent messengers to David's house to lye in wait about the house in the night and to slay him in the morning when he came out Michal either casually discovering Saul's servants watching about the house and guessing at their errand or else having some secret intelligence from Court of Saul's design against her husband she acquaints David with it that he might look to himself and then to prevent his present danger she let him down thorough a window * See Act. 9.25 and so he fled and escaped And further to delude the watchmen if by violence they should break into the house and to gain longer time for David to escape she laid an Image (b) Humanam quidem non Idololatricam qualis illa Gen. 31.19 in a bed and put a pillow of Goats-hair under the head of it and covered it with a cloth thereby intending to make them believe that David was sick in bed and therefore in all humanity at present not to be disturb'd When the messengers whom Saul had sent to watch about the house had waited till morning and saw he came not forth as they expected they went and told Saul of it who sent them back again with a new commission to enter his house and take him Michal thinking sickness a fair pretence to keep them from too eager pressing upon him that she might gain the more time for his escape told them he was sick in bed they thinking it had been so returned and acquainted Saul therewith Saul suspecting it was but a pretence of Michal's to preserve her husband sends them back again to see whither it was so or no however if he were sick he charges them to bring him with them though they brought him in his bed They coming again to the house and going up to lay hold on him behold there was no David but only an Image in the bed They then carry Michal before Saul who angerly asks her why she had deceived him and sent away his enemy she answers He threatned to kill her if she would not let him go Here by the way we may observe that though her intire love to her husband be highly to be commended yet her telling lyes to preserve him cannot be excused and further we may take notice that if people once allow themselves in lying it will encrease upon them and one lye will draw on another and a lesser will draw on a greater and. louder as we see here in this example of Michal who first told an officious lye as they call it to save her husband and now tells a pernicious lye to save her self she should rather have imitated her brave brother Jonathans example who spake boldly to his father in defence of her husbands innocence From 11 to 18. David was so affected with this deliverance that he composed the 59 Psalm upon this occasion of Saul's sending to his house to kill him as may appear by the Title 8ly David thus escaping fled to Ramah to acquaint Samuel with all that had passed and with what Saul had done unto him and to crave his advice and counsel in these dangers and difficulties Hereupon he and Samuel went down to Naioth near Ramah where was a Colledg of Prophets but some body or other quickly informed Saul that David was come thither and he presently sent messengers to take him there when the messengers came thither and found the Prophets prophecying that is praising God with Psalms and Hymns and speaking of Divine matters and Samuel among them sitting as President over them and governing this holy assembly the Spirit of the Lord fell upon them and they instead of apprehending David which was the business they were sent about prophesied also Saul hearing of this sent other messengers upon the same errand a second and a third time and they prophesied * The like example we have in the High-Priests Officers who were sent to apprehend Christ Joh. 7.45 46. also that is praised God with Psalms and Hymns and magnified his name as the other before had done Saul might by this miracle have been convinc'd of his sin and folly in pursuing after David when he saw him thus miraculously preserved and protected by God but being thus disappointed by his messengers and his heart being hardened he resolves to go thither himself and to fetch David thence even out of his Sanctuary but it fell out quite contrary to his expectation for whereas his messengers did not prophesie till they came into the company of the Prophets at Naioth the Spirit of the Lord now falling upon him he prophesied †Donum Prophetandi aliquando Impiis concedit Deus ut Balaamo vide Mat. 7.22 before he came thither even in the way and was chang'd from a Persecutor into a Prophet which plainly
escapeth the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay that is by his Prophetical denouncing * See Jer. 1.10 Hos 6.5 some think that this is meant of some other judgments not expressed in the Scripture which upon the Prophesying and Prayers of Elisha did fall upon the Idolatrous Israelites divine vengeance (a) Prophetae eos per accidens perdere dicuntur dum exitum iis minantur against such Israelites as remained Idolaters even after Jehu had destroyed the house of Ahab And lastly the Lord says to him Though in this general apostacy of the Israelites thou thinkest there is none left untainted with the Idolatry of Baal but thy self I tell thee that there are many thousands (b) Seven thousand in Israel a certain number for an indefinite meaning a great number see Rom. 11.4 in Israel that are not infected with it and who have not bowed the knee to Baal nor with their mouths kissed him in token of adoration and subjection see Hos 13.2 Elijah having receiv'd these commands from God he took care to have Hazael (c) But some think Elijah did anoint them all three himself though it be not particularly expressed and that he went forthwith to Damascus to anoint Hazael anointed by appointing Elisha to do it when he was dead 2 King 8.7 And Jehu was anointed by a young Prophet at the command of Elisha 2 King 9.1 who as 't is like received order from Elijah to do it And as for Elisha who as it seems was before a Country farmer Elijah found him plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him that is there were many Plows going in the field where Elisha was and many persons attending them and Elisha himself went with the last Elijah passing by him cast his Prophets mantle upon him as a sign of his calling to be a Prophet whereupon being endued with a Prophetick spirit he presently left the oxen and ran after Elijah a little way but then said unto him I pray thee let me go and kiss my father and mother (d) He in Luk. 9.61 made that a pretext to depart from Christ or at least to make delay But Elisha intends only a friendly farewell and speedily to return and pay my duty to them and take my leave of them and then I will follow thee and wholly attend upon thee Elijah bids him use his liberty as to that for says he what have I done to thee to make thee so willing to follow me I have only cast my mantle upon thee and it seems thou hast received the spirit of Prophesie and the Spirit of God being come upon thee thou maist thereby know that thou art called to a great and extraordinary work which thou must not delay to execute So Elisha went back to his Fathers house and took a yoke of oxen and slew them probably the very oxen with which he had plowed and boiled the flesh with the plow and all the wooden instruments belonging to it thereby shewing that he willingly left his former calling and so made a farewell feast for his kindred companions and neighbours and they did eat with him and then he presently arose and followed Elijah and ministred unto him and diligently observed his carriage and behaviour in his function that he might learn of him and possibly Elijah did also anoint him as he was commanded ver 16. 1 King 19. wh Ch. About this time Benhadad King of Syria gathered all his forces together and with the assistance of thirty two petty neighboring Kings * These were Kings of Cities Counties and Provinces such as Joshua destroyed in Canaan Josh 12.7 The kind of their Government which was by one alone and not the largeness of their Dominion gave them the title of Kings came and besieged Samaria and Ahab in it At first he pretended a willingness to make conditions with Ahab upon the performance of which he would raise his siege and accordingly sent messengers into the City to him who in an insolent manner spake to him saying Thus saith Benhadad King of Syria thy silver and thy gold is mine thy wives also and thy children are mine that is at my disposal and under my power Ahab being exceedingly afraid like a poor spirited Prince returned this tame answer My Lord O King of Syria according as I understand thy message I am willing to be thine that is a Tributary King to thee and to hold all in fealty and fee under thee paying thee homage Benhadad perceiving Ahab to yield thus far now sends another message to him and requires harder conditions of him than before Thou says he didst so interpret my last message as if I intended no more than homage and fealty to be paid by thee unto me and that thou shouldst hold all that thou hast as my Vassal and Tributary but know thou that my intent and purpose is to have the actual possession of all and I will send my servants to thee to morrow about this time and they shall search thine house and see what is laid up therein as also the houses of thy people and whatsoever is of value or desirable in thine or their eyes and you are loth to part with they shall take from you and bring to me Ahab 't is like of his own bead and out of fear had returned the former answer but now perceiving Benhadad to grow upon him and to require things of him so extreamly unreasonable he calls together his ancient grave Counsellors the Elders of the land that were with him in the City and says to them I pray you mark and observe how this man seeks mischief against us He pretends a Treaty as if he were willing upon terms to raise his siege but he intends nothing but mischief and ruin to us for he sent unto me before for my wives my children my silver and gold that is as I understood it to have the dominion over them as chief Lord reserving to me my subordinate interest and propriety in them and this I denied him not But that will not now content him but he will have liberty to take of ours whatsoever he pleases The Elders and the people being extreamly startled at this earnestly desired the King by no means to consent to such abominable terms So Ahab returned this answer by the messengers Tell says he my Lord the King all that thou didst require of me in thy first message as I understood it viz. that I should only be Tributary to the King of Syria I am willing to perform But that which thou requirest in thy last viz. that I should put all presently into thy hands that I may by no means consent unto The messengers returning carried this answer of Ahab's to Benhadad who hearing it in a proud rage said The Gods do so to me and more also if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me As if he should have said I swear I will bring more
accordingly told his servant he should have not only one but two Talents of silver that each of the young Prophets might have one a piece Gehazi seem'd very modest and unwilling to have more than one Talent which was all as he pretended that his Master desired But Naaman to testifie his great gratitude and high respects to Elisha urged him to take two So ordering them to be put into two bags which must needs be great ones that could contain three hundred seventy and five pounds a piece and giving him also two changes of garments he commanded two of his servants to bear them before Gehazi and when they came to the Tower possibly some out-house belonging to the place where the Prophet dwelt he took the silver and the garments from the servants and bestowed them in the house and so dismissed the men not suffering them to come any nearer the house lest Elisha his Master should see them Then he went in and stood before his Master very confidently as if he had done nothing amiss Elisha mildly asks him where he had been he answers thy servant hath been no where pretending he had not stirred out of the house Elisha hearing this What says he darest thou tell me so went not my heart with thee when the man turned again from his Chariot to meet thee know thou therefore that by a divine vision in my spirit I saw thee run after Naaman and saw him light out of his Chariot to meet thee I saw what he gave thee and where thou laidst it I tell thee I saw all this in a vision of my spirit though thou thoughtest to hide and conceal it all from me And further the Lord hath revealed to me what thou didst intend to do with the money thou hadst of Naaman viz. to buy thee oliveyards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and leaving my service to go and live by thy self and to have men-servants and maid-servants to attend thee But Gehazi is this a time for thee to receive such gifts and to have such worldly designs as these in thy mind Thou knowest on what grounds I had refused these things and thy receiving them now hath crossed all my ends in refusing of them Thou knowest Naaman himself is but a new convert and I refused his gifts to bring the more honour to God and to our Religion Thou knowest we live here among Idolaters and therefore we ought to give no occasion to them to think that we the Prophets of the Lord are a covetous sort of people as their Idolatrous Priests are I would not have it thought that I design any worldly advantage to my self by the exercise of that heavenly power which the Lord hath freely given me and whereby he enables me to work miracles Therefore seeing thou hast so heinously transgress'd the leprosie of Naaman shall cleave unto thee By thy coveting his goods and lying unto him thou hast got his leprosie which shall cleave unto thee and thy children after thee for a long while * In sempiternum non absolute sed in longissimum tempus in tertiam vel quartam generationem juxta Exod. 34.7 as an example of Gods just judgment against covetousness and lying So Gehazi went out from his presence a leper as white as snow And here we may take notice of the wonderful power of God manifested in his servant the Prophet who enabled him to inflict the leprosie as well as to take it away as he enabled Moses to bring plagues on Egypt and to remove them And this was Elisha's eleventh miracle 2 King Ch. 5. wh Ch. The succession of two such famous Prophets as Elijah and Elisha and the many miracles wrought by them had as it seems drawn many †Qui vacabant divinis literis laudibus precihus mittebantur saepe ad plebem aedificandam confirmandam c. even in that corrupt time to join themselves to the Schools of the Prophets which were at Jericho and Gilgal and several of them 't is like were of Manual Trades and even now maintained themselves thereby that they might not be burdensome to others Some of these Sons of the Prophets came to Elisha and told him that the place where they dwelt with him and were instructed by him as his disciples and scholars was too strait for them they desired him therefore that they might go to the banks of Jordan and there cut down and carried away some timber to make them an house there 'T is like some of them had sufficient skill to square and frame and fit timber for a building and to cover it also and to make it fit for habitation but here mention is only made of cutting down timber because of the miracle that followed Possibly they intended only to make some slight building that might serve for then present use and accommodation The Prophet bad them go One of them then intreated him that he would please to go along with them they being desirous to have as much of his company as they could So he went along with them It happened as one of them was felling a tree to make a beam that his ax-head fell into the water upon this he cried O my Master what shall I do for this ax was borrowed and things borrowed must be restored This man seems to intimate that he believed the Prophâ—t could help him to it again though it was fallen to the bottom of a deep water Elisha asks where it fell in and when they had shewed him the place he cut down a stick and casting it in thither the ax rose up and swum upon the water and so the man that worked with it took it up This was Elisha's twelfth Miracle 2 King 6. from v. 1 to 8. The King of Syria bearing still an inveterate hatred against the King of Israel invaded his Country again and upon advice with his Commanders resolved upon a place where he would lye in ambush to surprize him having some intelligence that the King of Israel with his followers did intend to pass that way Elisha understanding by the inspiration of God the secret projects of the Syrians advised the King of Israel that he should by no means go to that place for thither the Syrians were come and designed there to surprise him Jehoram something doubting the truth of this sent some scouts to the place the man of God had warned him of and found it to be as he had told him and thereupon did forbear to go thither and so following the Prophets counsel he saved himself from the enemies ambushments and that not only this once but several times after The King of Syria was much enrag'd that his designs were so often disappointed and thereupon began to suspect he had some about him that were false to him and gave secret intelligence to the Israelites and accordingly calling the great officers of his Army together and expostulating with them he askt them why they would not
the house of Ahab and compelled the people of Judah thereunto by force persecuting such as refused A Letter whilst he was going on in these abominable ways comes to him from Elijah who before his translation saw by the spirit of Prophesie what great wickedness this Jehoram would commit and what punishments the Lord would inflict upon him for it This Letter was written by Elijah * Probabile est Eliam hoc Scriptum commisisse Elisaeo quia certo aliud ei commisit post mortem peragendum nempe ut Hazaeli indicaret ipsum futurum Regem Syriae whilst he lived upon the earth neither need that seem strange seeing Isaiah wrote before hand concerning Cyrus Isa 45.1 and the Prophet that was sent to Jeroboam prophesied of Josiah many years before he was born 1 King 13.2 Elijah having written it committed it either to Elisha or some other of the Prophets and by them it was now sent to Jehoram whose insolent cruelty was such that he would hardly endure the reproof of a living Prophet In that Letter Elijah speaks thus to him Thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat †To degenerate from the example of pious Ancestors is a great provocation thy Father nor the ways of Asa thy Grandfather but hast walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring and commit spiritual fornication like the house of Ahab and hast also slain thy brethren of thy Fathers house which were better than thy self behold with a great plague will the Lord smite thee and will punish thee in thy people and thy children and thy wives and all thy goods and thou shalt have great sickness by a disease of thy bowels who hast had no bowels towards thy own brethren and thou shalt day by day without intermission be tormented with it till thy bowels fall out This was the threatning of Elijah the Prophet against him and we shall now see how it was fulfilled 1. The Edomites who from Davids time had ever been in subjection to the Kingdom of Judah see 2 Sam. 8.14 and had been Tributaries thereunto and had been governed by a Viceroy set over them by them 1 King 22.47 now fell off and revolted from him and made a King over themselves Jehoram to reduce them went over to Zair a City in Idumea and took with him all the Chariots and Horsemen and Souldiers he could provide and he arose by night that he might come upon them suddenly and unexpectedly but the Edomites were so numerous and so well prepared that they compassed his army round about However his Souldiers so manfully stood to it that they put the Edomites to flight and slew many of them and thereupon the Captains of the Edomites Chariots and many of their Souldiers fled to their own houses But though Joram overthrew them at this time yet they retiring into places of advantage persisted resolutely in their revolt and so he was forced to return again into his own land without conquering of them And thus according to the Prophesie of Isaac Gen. 27.40 By thy sword thou shalt live and serve thy Brother and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck They for ever after shook off his yoke 2. Whilst he was endeavouring to reduce the Edomites Libnah a great City within Judah one of the Royal Cities of Canaan Josh 10.29 30. and given to the Priests Josh 21.13 now rebelled against him possibly because he had made such innovations in Religion and forced the people to Idolatry and had forsaken the Lord God of his Fathers The revolt of this City was a matter of great moment it being a Frontier City and one of those which the King of Assyria set upon when he came with his huge host to have taken Jerusalem 2 Chron. 32.9 It is much indeed that one City alone should venture upon such an attempt but perhaps the Kings absence whilst he was in Edom and the discontent of the people yea perhaps some correspondence they might have with the Philistines who soon after invaded the land gave them hope of some abettors and how they sped in the conclusion the Scripture no where expresses 3ly God stirred up against him the spirit of the Philistines and Arabians who bordered upon the Ethiopians and had been Tributaries to the Kings of Judah and they ran through the land so far as to come up to Jerusalem and plundered and carried away all the substance they found in the Kings house and carried away all his sons * Here we ought to take notice of the righteous judgment of God against him He slew all his Brethren and all his Sons were slain by the Philistines and Arabians excepting his youngest Ahaziah and he was slain afterwards by Jehu 2 Chron. 22.9 And all the Sons of Ahaziah were slain by their Grandmother Athaliah excepting Joash who was hid from her and afterwards Crowned King And Joash himself was at last slain by his own servants but the youngest call'd Ahaziah †And herein appeared the Divine Providence for the accomplishment of the promise to David whom it seems they could not find and all his wives they could lay their hands on but it seems they unhappily mist Athaliah who remained to usurp the Crown and to be a scourge to the Nation afterwards 4ly After all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease his malady was very tormenting and after two years continuance a long time for a man to lye under such a sharp disease his torment was so great that at last it forced out his very guts and bowels from him and so he died under the heavy hand of God The great sins he had committed against God the great wrongs he had done to his subjects and the great judgments he had brought upon the land turned the hearts of his people from him so that they shewed him little respect when he was dead making no burning for him like the burning made for his Father See 2 Chron. 16.14 And so he departed without being desired or lamented Howbeit they buried him in the City of David but obscurely not in the Sepulchers of his Ancestors the Kings of Judah and without the lamentations and solemnities that had been used at the Funerals of other Kings He reigned eight years four in his Fathers life time and four after which though a short reign in its self yet seem'd undoubtedly long to the poor people that were so ill treated by him All the time of this Kings reign another King of the same name reigned in Israel to wit Joram the Son of Ahab his wives brother 2 King 8. v. from 16 to 25. 2 Chron. 21. wh Ch. The sixth that reign'd in Judah was AHAZIAH AHAZIAH call'd Jehoahaz 2 Chron. 21.17 and Azariah 2 Chron.